Winter in pictures

I absolutely adore Winter, everything about it! And for some reason if it’s rainy or misty I find myself wanting to go out as a means of connecting with it. I love the nostalgic mood and presence that Winter brings along with it. Therefore, it was no surprise that we decided to have a little family outing in town in the midst of a very Wintery Cape Town day.

We went to Franky’s Diner for lunch, and Malakai had to ride his blue plastic bike along the walk way to Franky’s. It was so cute as he looked like a mini biker with his leather jacket and beanie on! Franky’s Diner is a 50’s styled diner with delicious food to match there gorgeous decor, plus they have an amazing indoor play area for your little people! Can I get an Amen from the parents?!

After delicious food devouring we then decided to walk along the Waterfront promenade and take in the moody ocean view whilst my husband snapped some pics!I loved this mini improvised shoot, as it was not planned at all! And maybe because it wasn’t planned, it just worked so well! Taking pictures of a toddler with their toddler mood swings can be quite challenging ,very unpredictable and well a little scary. But in and amongst it all, we snapped some solid natural and very spontaneous shots of Malakai.

These pictures totally reflect his curious, fun loving nature! And yes, he had one mini melt down, then bursts of laughter, then tripped and fell on his face, and oh a random stranger took a photo of us on their phone. If you see that family portrait float about on the internet -let us know! Ha!

SOME TIPS WHEN TAKING PICTURES OF YOUR TODDLER

Sometimes we get asked “How do you get Malakai to pose like that?” I’m actually not entirely sure, we mostly let him do his thing, then we quickly capture it! However, the following tips below have helped us when it comes to snapping awesome pictures of Malakai.

1 . MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AWAKE

Make sure that they have napped before, or try snap pictures of them when they are their most awake / most animated alive self! Tired babies or toddlers can be a rollercoaster of emotions. Make sure that they are charged up and feeling fresh! Ha!

2 . MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE EATEN

Yes, HANGRY (hungry + angry) is a real thing. Do not expect your little people to engage with photos or do anything fun if they are hungry! Little hungry people will snap very quickly into the incredible Hulk if they are not fed promptly.

3 . DO NOT FORCE POSES

Malakai will sometimes do a pose all by himself, and it’s actually quite cute. Sometimes, he will even say to us “take a picture of me!” and pose in a funny way. However, there are times where he does not want your direction at all. Hello, he is an independent toddler living his best life.

Therefore when he is in that mood, we just let him be and we let him express himself naturally in those moments. If you try to force something out of them when they are that little, both of you will get frustrated, and quite frankly what’s the point then? These things should be fun!

4 . MAKE IT FUN

Malakai is very much “mood on my face” kind of kid. He is curious, cautious, and often looks like he is not impressed with you. But, that’s just his look! Ha! Kidding! When Malakai feels comfortable and relaxed, his fun loving and silly sense of humor comes out. Whenever we do family shoots, we engage with our surroundings and we make it interesting for Malakai.

Most of these shots we took, where guided by Malakai’s questions and observations : ” Mommy where are all the fish? , Mommy can Malakai go on the big boat in the ocean? Mommy can Malakai swim in the water now?” All these questions from Malakai, made the shoot fun for both of us. We started laughing and joking about all things we were talking about. Those are memory building moments, moments that we now have on camera to treasure for ever!

5 . ACT FAST

Toddlers can be unpredictable as we all know. Therefore, you need to capture the fun spontaneous moments very quickly of them. The photographers need to be able to engage with your children, and make them feel safe and comfortable with them. Then as the adult, you need to actively engage with your children, and interact with them as much as possible. This will help both yourself and the photographer.

I love capturing pictures of our family in every season, as time seems to be flying by with Malakai. I want these photos to last a life time, and I want to able to look back on them one day and treasure every special moment and season <3

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About The Author

Cass Ferguson

Cass Ferguson is a freelance writer for online content, and she is the visionary and creative director behind Leather Jacket Foxes.
Cass also runs her own drama school for little people called React Drama!
She absolutely loves and adores her husband and son, and is a lover of chocolate and all things series!